Apple to Drop Support for Encrypted Mac OS Extended Drives Next Year

Apple contiguous published a caller support document informing that macOS 28 volition nary longer enactment encrypted Mac OS Extended (HFS+) volumes, meaning affected outer drives volition request to beryllium decrypted oregon reformatted up of the update.


Starting with macOS 28, "the Mac OS Extended record strategy format volition beryllium supported lone for volumes (disks and different retention devices) that aren't encrypted." Any encrypted HFS+ disks, specified arsenic older encrypted outer hard drives, volition halt moving with the Mac unless users instrumentality enactment earlier upgrading.

Apple has not fixed a circumstantial crushed for the change. APFS, which natively supports encryption, has been the default record strategy connected the Mac since macOS High Sierra launched successful 2017, and dropping encrypted HFS+ enactment looks similar a further nudge toward retiring the older format altogether.

The modulation volition commencement showing up earlier macOS 28 arrives. Apple says that opening with macOS 26, a Mac mightiness notify users if it detects an encrypted Mac OS Extended disk that volition not transportation implicit to macOS 28 oregon later, identifying the affected measurement by name.

Users tin besides cheque manually done Disk Utility by selecting a measurement and looking astatine the format details listed beneath its name; a measurement showing some "Mac OS Extended" and "Encrypted," specified arsenic "CoreStorage Logical Volume • Mac OS Extended (Case-sensitive, Journaled, Encrypted)," volition beryllium incompatible.

Unencrypted Mac OS Extended volumes are not affected. Apple says macOS 28 and aboriginal volition proceed to enactment them, and notes that Mac OS Extended is besides known arsenic HFS Plus, oregon HFS+.

For anyone who wants to support utilizing an affected thrust aft upgrading, Apple recommends backing up its contents first, past either reformatting oregon decrypting it. Reformatting means erasing the measurement and mounting it up again successful APFS oregon APFS (Encrypted) format done Disk Utility, which permanently deletes existing information but ensures the thrust keeps moving successful aboriginal versions of macOS.

Decrypting is the alternate for anyone who wants to sphere their existing information connected the drive. That involves connecting the drive, unlocking it with its encryption password, past Control-clicking its icon successful the Finder oregon connected the desktop and choosing Decrypt, entering the password a 2nd clip to statesman the process. Apple notes that decryption "takes time, particularly for ample volumes," and advancement tin beryllium checked successful Terminal.

Once decryption finishes, users tin optionally person the measurement to APFS without erasing it via Disk Utility's Convert to APFS option, and re-encrypt it afterward if desired. Apple notes that this decryption way does not use to encrypted Time Machine backup disks.
This article, "Apple to Drop Support for Encrypted Mac OS Extended Drives Next Year" archetypal appeared connected MacRumors.com

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